How often are people here NOT autistic?

I ended up telling my employers as I was struggling. They don't really have a great understanding of mental health, even though they are supposed to take it seriously. I hadn't exactly wanted to say anything until I knew what was going on myself, unfortunately I was dealing with a number of things that just made the situation worse. At one point, I was told that I needed to be mindful about how I come across, that seemed to be the indication that I should say something. 

I therefore decided to let them know as at that point, I was aware that this was something that could be related to the Autism. Not much has changed, although I have joined a union and I would highly recommend it to anyone else. I'm currently raising a complaint against the very same managers because of another situation, and also for the lack of support and even consideration in my mental health which has caused me to struggle. I've also contacted a company called Remploy which was recommended to me by a workplace counsellor and will hopefully not only help me to determine the support that I need, but also educate my managers on their role in all this.

I feel that by not disclosing the 'potential' Autism, I could have almost shot myself in the foot. I have an anxiety disorder anyway, however the additional stress of trying to figure out who I am after years of not knowing, has made it more difficult. Had I not told them, they could argue that I wasn't giving them the full picture and therefore not allowing them to make the most appropriate decisions.

I know many say not to disclose, I understand the reasons for it and you'll need to consider the type of employers you have before making your ultimate decision. For me, it was the right decision as it's allowing me to sort out a situation with all the cards on the table. I also now have a union rep to support me so they know they have to tread carefully rather than dismissing my mental health as a 'bad attitude' which is what they were doing before.

I ended up telling my employers as I was struggling. They don't really have a great understanding of mental health, even though they are supposed to take it seriously. I hadn't exactly wanted to say anything until I knew what was going on myself, unfortunately I was dealing with a number of things that just made the situation worse. At one point, I was told that I needed to be mindful about how I come across, that seemed to be the indication that I should say something. 

I therefore decided to let them know as at that point, I was aware that this was something that could be related to the Autism. Not much has changed, although I have joined a union and I would highly recommend it to anyone else. I'm currently raising a complaint against the very same managers because of another situation, and also for the lack of support and even consideration in my mental health which has caused me to struggle. I've also contacted a company called Remploy which was recommended to me by a workplace counsellor and will hopefully not only help me to determine the support that I need, but also educate my managers on their role in all this.

I feel that by not disclosing the 'potential' Autism, I could have almost shot myself in the foot. I have an anxiety disorder anyway, however the additional stress of trying to figure out who I am after years of not knowing, has made it more difficult. Had I not told them, they could argue that I wasn't giving them the full picture and therefore not allowing them to make the most appropriate decisions.

I know many say not to disclose, I understand the reasons for it and you'll need to consider the type of employers you have before making your ultimate decision. For me, it was the right decision as it's allowing me to sort out a situation with all the cards on the table. I also now have a union rep to support me so they know they have to tread carefully rather than dismissing my mental health as a 'bad attitude' which is what they were doing before.

Thank you for sharing your experience with me. I'm sorry you are going through such a difficult time too. 

I'm in a union and I work in social services so I'd like to think that people will be supportive, but I know that just because people are trained to be empathetic and nondiscriminatory doesn't mean they actually are! 

How long have you been waiting for assessment? 

Thanks for your post, Loz. 

I’m sorry you had to go through what you did, but I’m glad that you’re a part of a union and that you advocated for yourself. You sound like a strong person.

I have been somewhat on the fence about whether to disclose at my current workplace and interestingly, your post has really tipped me toward the ‘disclose’ side of things. Thanks for your thoughts and for sharing.

Elizabeth